The Skinny: Mitch Marner

Vegas goes all in...again

Credit: NHL.com

If we know one thing about the Vegas Golden Knights, it’s that they just can’t resist the lure of a shiny new toy. Here are the prominent names they’ve acquired over the past seven seasons:

• Mark Stone

• Jack Eichel

• Alex Pietrangelo

• Noah Hanifin

• Tomas Hertl

• Max Pacioretty

We can now add this summer’s biggest UFA to the list. On the heels of his first 100-point campaign—albeit followed by more playoff disappointment—Mitch Marner (8 years, $12 million AAV) is bringing his world-class playmaking to a top six that sorely needed assistance on the flanks.

A passer of his caliber can rack up apples pretty much anywhere. With that said, Vegas’ rush-heavy offense seems well suited to his talents:

An ordinary dish at first blush, but look at the weight and placement. Had Matthew Knies (TOR 23) been forced to slow down or alter his course for a millisecond, Seth Jones (FLA 3) would have smothered the attack. Instead, the power forward can race onto the puck full steam ahead, turning a routine breakout into a jailbreak opportunity.

Later in the same game, the 28-year-old would spring Knies again:

In transition, where windows open and shut in a heartbeat, Marner’s processor and immaculate touch should satisfy the Golden Knights’ taste for speed.

Assuming head coach Bruce Cassidy pairs Marner and Eichel together, completing the trio with a north-south skater like William Karlsson or Ivan Barbashev would take advantage of the newcomer’s pinpoint NZ setups.

That player template also complements Marner’s perimeter-based in-zone offense. The “perimeter” qualifier tends to carry a negative connotation in hockey circles, yet it isn’t a flaw in and of itself. He simply requires the right spacing (i.e. net drive) to capitalize on his high-forward tendencies and gain access to the full surface of the OZ:

Marner has streamlined his decision-making from distance in recent years. Whereas he once insisted on finding the perfect play, he’s developed into an effective third point man of sorts, shuffling and pump-faking his way to tippable shots. Such efforts would be wasted without a goalmouth threat.

Even with more freedom outside of Craig Berube’s system, his offense both at 5-on-5 and on the PP will benefit from linemates who can hang in the guts of the ice. Speaking of the PP, he should help diversify Vegas’ designs there too:

In the playoffs, opponents will deny the bumper and around-the-horn (Eichel —> Shea Theodore —> Pavel Dorofeyev) one-timer. Marner can introduce a dash of unpredictability—especially if Eichel and Dorofeyev maintain their stations on the flanks, allowing the star winger to roam, sow confusion and change the angle of attack.

It’s not all sunshine and roses, though.

Despite his reputation as a Selke-level forward and the fact that he is indeed a decent backchecker and smooth takeaway artist, he struggles a bit in the DZ:

Fixated on the mere whisper of a counterattack, Marner is a “make something happen” gambler rather than a shutdown defender. He’ll puck-watch and blow containment in hopes of converting stops into offense. That can lead to a fair few scramble drills.

On the flip side, his aggressive reads can produce moments of sheer brilliance:

When there’s this much good, you can stomach a little bad.

For the win-now Golden Knights, the prospect of stronger quick-strike weaponry and greater scoring depth was impossible to pass up.

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